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Shortening Blinds and Blind Pulls

Introduction: Shortening Blinds and Blind Pulls

Here's a simple way to shorten blinds and/or blind pulls with very few tools (small screwdriver and sharp knife). I don't now why my picture is sideways... =(

Step 1: Remove Bottom Rod

First - let the blinds all of the way down, then set them on something. You can use the windowsill. I used a cardboard box just to have more working area. This will make it easier as you complete the steps.

Pics 1&2 - Turn the bottom piece of the blinds over, you should see little plugs (if you are using a different type of blind, you may not have these, I'm unsure). Remove these plugs but loosening edges gently with a screwdriver or other flat object.

Pics 3&4 - When you remove the plug, you will see a mass of cord, pull it out and make a mental note of about how much should go back in. You'll probably end up changing this amount anyway when you get sick of stuffing cord back in but... hey just in case.

Pic 5 - Pull out the knot that lifts the blinds (you may need to push it through from the other side to help. Then simply cut off the knot.

Not pictured - do this to both sides!

Pic 6 - GENTLY slide the bar out from between the holders. This is where having a shelf or using the windowsill helps. This is also the reason we started by lowering the blinds all of the way.

Step 2: Set the Rod

Not pictured - run around house and use rod as temporary sword of magic. Be careful not to bend or knock over objects.

Pic 1 - CAREFULLY slide rod back into the holders at whatever height you would like the bottom of the blinds to end at. Go ahead and slide them right back in over the current slat. It's okay I promise.

Pic 2 - slip your finger in between the blinds to find the lever string for this side. I realized later that this step... and the others.... might be easier if you open the blinds (the twisty thing). *shrug* oh well. Find the lever string and pull it up through all of the slats that you are no longer going to use.

Pic 3 - Push the cord through the newly placed bottom rod. Make sure to slide it through the side that has the small hole and not the big one. Feel free to trim a little off the tip so that you can fit it in the hold without the fraying getting in the way.

Pic 4 - Tie a knot! What's that?.... in the end of the cord... where else? Focus!

Pic 5 - hold onto a bit of the string and let the rod hang to make sure that it will hold it's weight. This is really all it's going to be holding anyway.

Not pictured - do this again on the other side.

Step 3: Finish Up

From here it's just basic.

Cut about 2-3 squares below the bar.

You will have 2 strands of easily falling out blind slats. Don't throw these out! Find something on instructables to do or use them to repair other sets. You will have to pull out the last few slats that are left hanging.

Pic 1 - Check the length in the window. This is much better now isn't it?

Pic 2 - Now just shove all of the mass of strings back into the hold and plug it back up!

Pic 3 - finished plug

Pic 4 - IMPORTANT! MAKE SURE THAT THE BLINDS ARE ALL OF THE WAY DOWN. When you lift the blinds, the cords will get longer but you cannot add cord to them so you definitely do not want to find out that you can't lower your blinds all of the way if you do this step with the blinds up!

Now that you're done with the blind itself, let's look at those pulls! If you have the stock pull, they're probably some shape where the end of the cord fits up inside them. If you just take a hold of the pull and slide it up, you will expose the knot! I just slide my pulls up to where I wanted them, tied a knot under them then let them drop again to make sure that they were where I wanted them (did this for each one). Then I just cut a little but under the knot so that I shortened my pull strings.